Block
by Sakamoto Mizuki
Summary: When inspiration stops for one artist and one writer, life is at its lowest. What happens when they meet? (AU, L/Z)
1. Chapter One

Block

Part 1

Lina stared at her blank canvas for the longest time, racking her mind for ideas. She had her favourite paintbrush in her right hand, poised above her palette with her most loved colours already mixed. But she couldn't for her life think of anything to paint. It shouldn't be like that. She had everything like she wanted. 

With a sudden scream, she threw the paintbrush and palette at the canvas. She stood, staring at the sudden splash of clashing colours spattered across the bare white. Her jaw closed in a furious line and stalked away from the studio part of her apartment to her bed and fell onto it. Lina rolled over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. 

"Why can't I do anything?" she demanded to the air. 

"Meow!" 

Lina sat up on the bed and leaned over to see her cat, Sayuri, pawing at her foot insistently. 

"I know, I know. You're hungry," Lina grumbled affectionately, stroking the feline's head fondly. 

Sayuri meowed in reply, still batting at Lina's foot. Lina slid off the bed with a laugh and walked to her small kitchen, the small calico trailing at her heels. She looked disgustedly at the pile of dirty dishes in the stainless steel sink and averted her eyes from the sight. The slender, short redhead reached into an open cupboard and took out a can of cat food. Pulling out a drawer, she removed the can opener and began to twist the can opener around the lid. With the can open, she walked over to Sayuri's dish, dumping the food in. Sayuri meowed happily, rubbing against her mistress's ankles once before rushing towards her dinner. 

"Well, I'm glad at least one of us is happy," she told her cat, squatting down. Watching her cat eat for a few minutes reminded Lina of her hunger. Her stomach voiced itself in a loud rumble. 

'Gotta get something to eat. I guess Sylphiel will take me in, even though I don't have a reservation.' 

Lina padded back into her bedroom, barefoot, and took out her sandals from the closet and slipped those on before grabbing her keys, wallet and cell phone. 

"Sayuri, I'm going out, okay? I'll be back later," she called to her cat, who watched her exit the apartment, the heavy door closing with a loud thud, echoing into the bare corners of the apartment with its splattered canvas, the clashing paint, threw in a fit of fury and frustration, drying slowly.

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"He stared with his steely gaze, laughed bitterly then slapped her sharply across the cheek. 'Don't ever think that I'm a fool. Did you think your little confession was real enough to trick me? I know your little games and I refuse to be a pawn in them. If you want to play for real and win, get an idiot,' he said coldly to the shocked woman. She gasped, clasping a pale hand to her reddened cheek, staring at him in disbelief." 

Zelgadiss stared at his computer screen, gazing at the words he typed. Then he quietly and calmly stood up from his grand, comfortable, cushioned chair. He walked away silently until he reached his balcony overlooking the twinkling city. Then he shouted with all his fury into the sky. 

"DAMNIT! DAMNIT ALL TO HELL!" he swore loudly, clenching his fists and slamming them down onto the iron railing. He turned his back onto the sparkling lights of the bustling city, refusing to enjoy the particular beauty of the night. 

"This isn't happening. This isn't happening," he repeated, the familiar phrase springing to his lips. 

"Shit, this is happening. This is happening. Thanks Dr. Renauld, those therapy sessions _really_ helped," he muttered sarcastically to himself and to his psychologist, who just happened to sneeze at that moment. He unwillingly returned to his computer, deleting the paragraph he had just written with a tired sound of exasperation. He reclined, letting his head lay back and pressed his hands against his face. 

"I can't write. I can't write. I can't write," he mumbled through his hands. "Why can't I write?" 

He sighed and let his arms fall down, staring up at the bare white ceiling. He spun and saw the emptiness of his apartment. Bare white walls surrounded a sparsely furnished room with accents of silver and oak. A comfortable couch sat in front of his television, a strange note in the cool setting. 

"Maybe I don't have it anymore," he muttered and stood up again. Then a grumble a sudden, strange empty urge struck his throat and stomach, a gurgle sounding from the latter. 'Maybe I should go to Sylphiel's. She'll probably let me in.'

He took his black jacket from his large bed and walked out of his silent apartment, stopping to slip his feet into a pair of black boots and to grab his keys and wallet. With a last look, he flicked the light switches off, leaving the apartment in lonely darkness with only a half-written manuscript glowing on a computer screen. 

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Lina walked slowly past the crowds of people, too lost in her own thoughts to move aside for anyone to pass her easily. 

The streetlights shone brightly on the street, briefly illuminating the variety of people that walked down the old fashioned main street. Singles, couples and families alike strolled down the quaint road, cheerfully chattering. Only one was like Lina, equally preoccupied with his thoughts and incidentally, was walking behind her quickly. 

__

CRASH!

"Ack!" Lina cried out as felt someone from behind bump her. 

"Ah!" Zelgadiss yelped as he smashed into someone's frame. 

They went sprawling onto the ground, Zelgadiss onto of Lina. 

"Ah...s-sorry," Zelgadiss stammered, as he flushed red, apologizing the back of a head full of long, fiery hair, as he stumbled to stand up. 

Lina swore under her breath as she felt the body on top of her lift itself off, a voice stuttering apologies. He wasn't going to get off easily, the clumsy fool! He was probably a perverted teenager trying to cop a feel! She got up onto her knees and dusted herself off before she stood up and turned, ready to let her tongue loose with a lashing of verbal insults. Then she stopped short when she saw the man. 

He was...positively gorgeous. Locks of silvery violet-blue hair fell around his face; a bang hung enticingly over one eye, hiding it from view, but the same colour as its twin, a deep sapphire holding such a...world within them. Clad in a dark-coloured ensemble, the fitted jeans, shirt and jacket hinted at the slender, but muscled body underneath the somber clothing and the most amazing thing was his gaze, holding such hurt and intelligence, penetrating her to the bone as she stood there, too shocked to say anything. 

Zelgadiss stumbled over his words as the girl got up, dusting herself off, and turned around. The flowery apologies he had been stammering died on his tongue as he saw the female he had so unceremoniously crashed into. She seemed young; her height and the slim frame of her body hinted at that. Long, crimson hair fell in loose waves far past her shoulders, framing a heart-shaped face, which held scarlet eyes with such freedom and _life_ that he felt lighter simply standing in front of her. The most remarkable thing about her was the force of her personality she unconsciously exerted, the aura radiating outward a feeling of life that actually made it bearable to live in the world for a few more minutes to spend the time blissfully soaking up the dynamic character.

Lina shook herself out of her reverie before saying, "It's all right. It was only an accident." 

Zelgadiss did the same before replying, "Sorry! I didn't know where I was going." 

Lina responded, "I already said it was okay." She smiled and he hesitantly smiled in reply. 

Zelgadiss forced himself to say something. "I'm sorry. Can I buy you dinner as an apology?" 'I have to know more about her,' he thought.

Lina grinned and said, "Definitely! I'll take food as payment any day!" 'I need to know more about him.'

Unable to resist her infectious energy, he laughed a silvery peal of laughter ringing into the night. "Well then, shall we go? I know a very good restaurant of a friend of mine," he said as he offered his arm. 

Lina looked peculiarly at the arm and accepted it, a faint blush colouring her fair skin. 

'She's...beautiful.' 'He's...beautiful.' They thought simultaneously, staring at each other.

"So...where are we going?" Lina asked. 

He smiled and said, "It's a secret," intending it to keep her in suspense of the food at Sylphiel's. 

Lina suddenly stopped and wrenched her arm from his hold and stared at him, trembling, her hand covering her mouth. 

Zelgadiss, confused, asked, "What's wrong?" 

"...Why did you say that?" 

"Say what?"

"It's a secret." 

"Huh? I...I meant it as a joke. It...was supposed to be funny." 

"Oh."

"Is there anything wrong?" 

"What? Oh, no! No, not at all," she said quickly. 

He looked intently at her, letting her make her excuses to hide what she did not want to reveal and said, "The restaurant is close now. We should be there soon." 

She nodded and walked beside him silently. 

Above them, stars twinkled in the black fabric of the darkened sky, their brightness a bit dimmer than it was a moment ago when memories were ripped from dark recesses, forced upon the owner's reality and events took a new course when two meandering paths crossed, leading to a single door. 


	2. Chapter Two

Block

Part 2

Sylphiel surveyed her restaurant with quiet pride, glowing silently as more diners entered the bistro and chattered freely. She sat on a stool in front of the bar amidst the other diners waiting for their tables. She sighed and slumped down in her seat. 

"Tired, Sylphiel?" Gourry inquired, cleaning a shot glass behind the bar with care.

"No, not really. It's just that...that everything still overwhelms me." 

"Don't faint in the middle of the restaurant. If you do, they'll attribute it to food poisoning. Then what would happen to this restaurant?" a faintly sardonic voice said. Then the owner of the voice slid next to Gourry, a barely mocking smile on her face. 

Sylphiel smiled at Tsukasa, the assistant bartender and manager at Nuit et Jour. She knew that Tsukasa was simply teasing her, a habit Sylphiel had gotten used to over the years. 

"Oh that reminds me. Michael told me the butcher's here with the duck breasts that you wanted. He wants you to sign for them."

"I'll go right now." Sylphiel walked through the kitchen's double swinging doors, strategically and discreetly located in a nook beside the bar.

Nakatsu, one of the waiters at Nuit et Jour, sauntered up to the bar and put down an order. "Table 16 needs two screwdrivers, three vodka martinis and three sakes, cold. Can you guys make it fast? They're impatient and they might even walk out," he said nervously. 

Tsukasa raised an eyebrow and said coolly, "Let them. They were half an hour late and they had skipped out on a reservation earlier this month. They're not worth the money if they don't appreciate the atmosphere. If they complain, tell me." 

Nakatsu nodded, his frown melting into a relieved smile. Gourry asked, "What was it again?" Nakatsu repeated the order and Gourry began mixing the cocktails. 

Gourry was the head bartender and despite his rather dumb appearance and lack of book knowledge, the man could mix drinks like no other bartender in the city. He knew exactly what and how much to pour in a drink to produce the perfect cocktail. He was knowledgeable in all forms of alcohol from vintage liquors to vineyards. Strangely, he was good enough that he could have had any job at any high-paying bar or restaurant in the city, but had chosen Sylphiel's restaurant for some reason. All the employees at Nuit et Jour had their own romantic theories, but no substantial evidence had been found supporting the speculations. 

"Tsukasa, can you pass me the vermouth?" Gourry asked, skillfully pouring ice and vodka into the tall silver shaker. She reached back and withdrew the vermouth, which he added a bit to the shaker and proceeded to shake, then strained the mixture into three glasses without spilling a drop, repeating the same process with the screwdrivers. 

Tsukasa poured the sake into the holder and set three small ceramic sake cups on the tray for Nakatsu and asked, "Do they know how to drink sake?" 

He grinned devilishly and said, "Not a clue." 

She returned an equally wolfish smile and replied, "Good."

Gourry set the five cocktails on the tray and said with satisfaction, "There." 

"Thanks guys," Nakatsu said and lifted the tray with ease, walking carefully back to Table 16.

Tsukasa stretched and then a familiar duo came through the doors, blowing a chilly blast of fall air into the restaurant, but she wasn't even aware of the fact that the pair knew each other, who were making their way to the bar after checking with the hostess. 

"Hi guys. Here again to mooch another free meal off of us?" she asked casually when the two arrived.

"Hey! It's not free, I've already paid for it in advance with those paintings," Lina replied defensively.

Tsukasa smiled crookedly and said, "That was a year ago, Lina. You've more than eaten up your credit. And I do believe you owe us last month's meals?" She held out her hand expectantly to the redhead. 

Lina said plaintively, "Does it have to be now?" 

"You have by the end of the month, like you always do."

"I can't believe you would take money away from a starving friend."

Tsukasa snickered and replied, "I'm not taking money away from you. I'm simply teaching you responsibility. And I'm surprised that Mr. Sober and Somber is here with you, Firecracker. What got you in such bad company, Zel? Blackmail?" 

Zelgadiss cracked a bare smile and said, "I crashed into Lina and I'm buying her dinner as an apology." 

Tsukasa stared at him and then burst out laughing. She gasped between chortles, "You're kidding, right?"

Zel looked at her confusedly and said, "No..." 

Tsukasa kept on laughing, until she calmed down enough to say, "Ah...I really hope you have your credit card with you. Because you won't have enough cash to cover dinner." 

Zel turned to Lina for an explanation, but she was chatting with a tall, golden-haired woman at the bar, purposely evading his question. He slouched a bit in his seat, uncomfortable in the busy setting. Usually he was alone or ate with the other employees who he was familiar with after the restaurant closed, but among the crowds, he tried to hide himself. Gourry and Tsukasa were busy serving drinks and he knew no one else in the bar besides Lina and the employees, who were occupied with waiting on the customers. He slumped a little lower in his seat, wishing himself somewhere else, and then Lina tapped him on the shoulder. 

"Hm?"

"Our table's ready. Let's go," Lina said, sliding off her stool.

"Oh," he said, "Umm...who was that woman you were talking with?" 

"Filia? She's the head of one of the galleries that a few of my pieces are in." 

"You're an artist?" 

"Yeah, it's nice work..." Lina trailed off, as she wove through the throngs of people crowded around the bar. 

"Hi Lina! Hi Zel! You two together tonight?" Mizuki asked cheerfully. 

"Yeah," Zel said absently before realizing the meaning of his words. 

Mizuki's eyes grew sly, leaning towards Lina, she asked, "You're dating? I didn't even know you guys knew each other! When did you guys meet?"

Zelgadiss flushed a ripe red and opened his mouth for a denial, but Lina, blushing an equally colourful scarlet, said furiously, "Mizuki! We aren't going out! He's just buying me dinner!" 

Mizuki's face fell a bit and shrugged. "Oh well. Anyway, I'm going to be serving you tonight. Come this way." She led them to a table next to a wall, a secluded spot surrounded with quietly chatting couples. She presented them with their menus, pulled out her pad of paper and asked, "What do you want to drink?" 

Lina scanned the list and said, "A glass of red wine." 

"Any preference?"

"Tsukasa knows what I want." 

"So the usual then. Zel?" 

"White wine." 

"Same as usual?"

"Uh huh."

Mizuki went away with their orders, saying over her shoulder, "I'll come back for your food orders when I bring your drinks." 

The soft murmur of private conversations floated around the silent pair, facing each other, uncomfortable without a word to say. 

'SAY SOMETHING!' Zel's brain screamed out to him. 'Damn, this is the first girl you've really started a conversation with since whatshername...Mika? Or was it Martina? Or was it Masami? Forget that girl's name! Talk to this girl!' 

'Ohhhh...he's gorgeous, he's really, really gorgeous,' Lina's inner voice observed. 'Well...talk to him! C'mon! Talk!' 

"Ah..." Zelgadiss said falteringly. 

"Umm..." Lina began hesitatingly. 

"So tell me about yourself," the age-old line coming to their lips in unison. 

'STUPID! That's it! I'm leaving! If that's all you can say to him/her, you are _so_ not going to score!' Lina's and Zel's brain screamed to each of them. 

__

BANG! 

BANG!

"Umm...did you hear some doors slamming?" Zel asked Lina, glancing around.

"Yeah, I think so..."

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"So then I...so then I told the damn editor to his face, 'I don't give a shit about content. If you cut that out, I'm gonna shove yer head up yer ass!'" Zel slurred his words, a bit tipsy on his chair. 

"Yeah! Shove his head up his ass!" Lina cheered. 

"Uh huh!" Zelgadiss agreed, taking another sip of white wine. Then he squinted at his glass and said, "Y'know...I think this is remal, I mean, remarkably good wine." 

Lina giggled into her wineglass, almost choking on the ruby liquid. Then she blinked owlishly at Zelgadiss and said, "Ya wanna trade?" 

Since we took a reprieve from our characters' dinner, let's catch up, shall we? After saying that classically cheesy line, "So tell me about yourself," they began trying to sink themselves into the floor in embarrassment, while trying to appear normal on the outside. In every case where people are embarrassed, they try to take their mind off things. So the solution is simple and near at hand. Alcohol. Without really knowing it, they keep on sipping and sipping and sipping and sipping and sipping and sipping...well, you get the idea.

"Uh...guys? I think you've had enough wine," Mizuki suggested tactfully. Two heads swiveled to look at her with large, owlishly blinking eyes. 

"I don't think so. 'Cos I still can walk in a straight line, see?" Lina replied, getting up clumsily, then stumbling in a semblance of walking in a straight line. Zelgadiss laughed at her attempt at walking back to her seat. 

"Ah..." Mizuki trailed off. Then she gestured urgently to Nakatsu to come over.

"What's wrong?" Nakatsu whispered. 

"They've had more than enough to drink. And they want more." 

"Okay, call Tsukasa over. She can deal with them." 

Tsukasa made her way through the empty room, save a few employees and the drunken pair. 

"Okay guys. Enough wine for both of you tonight," she announced to the giggling two. 

"Nuh uh. We want more," Lina protested, holding up her glass. 

Tsukasa frowned at Lina and said, "You've had enough. It's already midnight and we were supposed to close at eleven." 

"So?" 

Tsukasa gripped her head, muttering curses. Tonight had been a frustrating evening, trying to placate the customers who complained, fixing the various disasters and all the other things that went along with trying to run a restaurant all added to the headache she had. 

"Nakatsu?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Help me get these two out," Tsukasa said sweetly, a malicious glint in her eyes. 

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Lina and Zel laughed as they stumbled down the sidewalk. Their bottoms were a little sore after Tsukasa and Nakatsu had tossed them "gently" outside, but otherwise than that, they were fine. 

"Where's your apartment?" Zel asked, as he swayed. 

"Up ahead." 

They stumbled some more into the lobby and actually managed to get into the elevator without bumping into the columns or mistaking them for people. 

Gasping, they leaned against the elevator's walls and stared up at the reflective ceiling. 

"Y'know, I don't think I've ever been throw outta a restaurant before," Lina said. 

"I haven't either."

"Fun, ne?"

They both suddenly laughed at the new experience and lurched to the door of her apartment. Lina fumbled with her keys before choosing the right one and shoved it into the keyhole after a few misses. She pushed against the door in her drunken stupor, Zelgadiss following her. 

"Meow!" 

Sayuri woke with a start, as her mistress stumbled around in the dark, fumbling for the light switch.

"Make yourself at home," Lina mumbled before walking unsteadily to her bedroom, tugging off her sandals, leaving them on the polished hardwood floor. 

Zelgadiss blinked at the sumptuousness of the apartment. It was painted in dark purple and blue tones and black leather couches and chairs furnished the elegant room. Even in his inebriated daze, he felt like it was overdone and there was a vague sense of awkwardness in the apartment. 

"Meow!" 

He looked down to find a small calico cat twining around his ankles, purring satisfactorily. He reached down to stroke its head and it gave another meow. 

"She likes you," Lina said with a wry smile, flopping onto a large chair. 

"Hm?"

"She usually hates men. I don't know why, but every time a guy comes by, she scratches up his face or something," Lina explained.

"I'm glad that she doesn't hate me then," Zelgadiss replied. He staggered to the couch and fell on it. 

Lina laughed and asked, "Do you want more wine?"

He shook his head and said, "I don't think so." Then his face blanched and he clapped his mouth over his mouth. He shot up from his seat and his head whipped around, searching for something. 

"Washroom's there," Lina said, pointing to a door. Zel rushed to it and sounds of retching were heard through the door. He came out, trembling and pale, still swaying. He tottered to the couch and fell onto it. 

"I'm never going to drink that much again," Zel groaned, clutching his head, slumping down on the sofa. 

"You just can't keep your wine down. Now me, I can do that. I came from wine country and I drink as much as any alcoholic," Lina bragged. Then her face paled and she dashed to the washroom. Sounds of vomiting were followed by the sound of running water. She emerged from the washroom trembling and pale, but she managed to walk a bit steadier. 

"You know, I don't think I've ever been sick from alcohol," Lina said as she stumbled to sit down on the chair. 

The faintest sound of snoring reached her ears and she leaned over to find Zelgadiss asleep on her couch. 

"Zel? Zel? Wake up. C'mon, you can't crash on my couch," she said wearily. She shook his shoulder, but he ignored her in his slumber and turned over on his side. She sighed and gave up. 

She moved unsteadily to her own bed, not even bothering to change clothes. She pulled the sheets over her head and a hand reached out to the light switches to bathe the entire apartment in darkness. 

Silence and night. 


	3. Chapter Three

Block 

Block 

Part 3

_And what's your name? _

Come on, let's go...

You don't need to worry about that. My friend's in charge of a gallery. 

See it? This is yours. You don't need to stay in that dirty room anymore.

Dear Lina, The apartment's yours now. I'm going to be away on a business trip for a long time, maybe a year or so in Europe. Take good care of it. Good bye. 

I love you...

I love you...

I love you...

Lina slowly opened her eyes to the golden sunlight streaming into her room and stared at the ceiling, trembling. She curled up into a fetal position, hugging a pillow close to her. Then she noticed she was still dressed in her day clothes and looked around her in confusion. 

'This is my room. But why am I still dressed like this? And why do I have such a headache?' 

Gripping her head and moaning in suffering, she walked into her living room, Sayuri close to her heels and meowing. 

Then she stopped short. 

Zelgadiss was sprawled on her couch, still dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, obviously sound asleep from the faint snoring sounds he was making. 

'What the hell is he doing in my apartment?' Lina screamed to herself. 'Ok, ok, calm down. What did we do? I remember getting a table, then we drank...a little bit too much.'

'More than a little bit too much. You two practically emptied the entire restaurant of wine,' her brain reminded her. 

'Ok, ok, we drank a lot. Then I think we got into my apartment and then I threw up. And then he fell asleep.' She breathed a sigh of relief. 'Thank God we didn't do...anything.' 

'Oh yeah, you guys didn't do "anything",' her brain sniggered sarcastically.

'Whhhhhaaaaaattttttt???' 

'Hey, just kidding. But if he hadn't thrown up, something might have happened. Too bad you didn't score.'

'What? Hey I wasn't looking to score!'

'Whatever you want to believe...hey, don't you think he looks good asleep?'

'...' She kept on gazing at his peacefully sleeping face, noticing how his hair fell around his face and how perfect his features were, like they were chiseled from marble. 

'Fangirl,' Lina's inner voice snorted. 'Hair, it's always the hair...' 

At that moment, Zelgadiss stirred from his restful slumber and his eyes flew open to find Lina staring at him. 

'Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit! Why is she staring at me? Where am I?' he yelled in his head. 

'Probably because you two had a nice night together,' his brain snickered. 

'Whhhhhaaaaaattttttt???'

It sighed and said, 'Don't worry. You didn't score last night. You fell asleep before anything could happen. Pathetic.'

'What?'

'Oh God, I've got an inarticulate idiot as my passenger. What did I do to deserve this? Look, you're in her apartment because you crashed on the couch when you got too drunk last night to remember anything.' 

'Oh...'

'Well, aren't you going to say anything to her?'

'Uh...morning...?' 

'Stupid! You say it to her, not me!'

"Uh...morning," Zelgadiss said after he pulled together enough senses to greet Lina, now noticing he had a pounding headache. 

"...Morning. Ah...you fell asleep last night and I don't really remember, but you stayed last night."

"Oh...umm...sorry," he apologized. 

"No problem," she said. "Do you want any breakfast?"

"I really don't want to impose..."

"It's nothing." 

"Okay then." 

She smiled and walked to the kitchen, beckoning him to follow her. He stumbled up and followed her, taking in the surrounding and simple, yet elegant and extremely expensive furnishings around him. 

"Ah, nice apartment you have," he said. 

Lina tried to smile and said, "Thanks."

She opened her fridge and said, "All right, what do you want to eat?"

"What do you have?"

"Let's see...eggs, some sausage, uh...leftover pasta, some veggies, milk, cheese, some tomato sauce, orange juice, iced tea..." Lina ratted off the list of food in her refrigerator. With each item, Zelgadiss' eyes widened a bit more at the amount of edibles or inedibles counting the food that had already grown mold and close to evolving into sentient life forms unknown to man. 

"Ah...I think eggs and sausage would be okay."

"Okay, then. What do you want to drink?" 

"Coffee, if you have it." 

She reached up into another cabinet and withdrew a can of coffee. "How much?"

"Ah...can I just help myself?"

"Okay." 

While Lina took out a peculiar assortment of food, Zelgadiss helped himself liberally to the coffee. She noticed the amount of grounds he was spooning into the coffee maker and she raised an eyebrow at the amount of caffeine he was making. Shrugging it off, she cracked an egg into a glass, followed by a sprinkle of white pepper, paprika and sloshes of gin and vodka. 

He noticed the bizarre drink and he asked curiously, "What's that?"

She replied, "It's a prairie oyster. It's good for hangovers." With a grimace she downed the entire glass in one gulp, holding her nose in the process. She made a face and a few unpleasant noises, but she looked a bit better than she did a few moments ago. "Do you want one?" she asked. 

"Ah...I think I'll stick to coffee," he said. 

Lina grinned and said playfully, "Chicken." 

He raised an eyebrow and said, "Was that a challenge?"

She said archly, "Maybe. Maybe not." Then she laughed. 

Zelgadiss, unable to resist the dare, said, "Okay, make me one." 

"Are you sure?" 

"Yes," he said firmly. 

Lina, laughing silently to herself, cracked another egg in another glass, sprinkled the pepper and paprika and splashed a generous amount of vodka and gin. "Here you go. Enjoy," she said with a mischievous smile. 

With a weak and slightly sarcastic smile, Zel accepted it and eyed it doubtfully. Then he raised it to his lips and poured it down his throat, holding his nose like Lina. 

"Well...?" 

He didn't reply and his face contorted into bizarre expressions of disgust, which Lina found enormously amusing. She began laughing and Zelgadiss tried to speak, but the taste of the prairie oyster prevented him. 

Luckily, the coffee maker decided to announce that the coffee was done and Zelgadiss grabbed it urgently, searching for a mug. Unable to find one, he resorted to pouring coffee into the glass that had contained the prairie oyster. 

Unfortunately, some traces of the egg had remained in the glass and when the steaming hot coffee hit the glass, most of it cooked and strings of egg floated around in the glass. Disregarding that, he gulped it down, the bitterness of the coffee washing away the hideous taste of the drink.

"God, that's horrible," he choked out. Lina kept on laughing and then when she calmed down she took out two mugs, sugar and cream.

"Want to drink it without the egg?"

"God, yes!" he said gratefully. He accepted the cup of coffee and flashed an appreciative grin to Lina.

'My, my, that smile was certainly dazzling. Are you sure you didn't want to score last night?" her brain piped in. 

'...' 

It laughed and said, 'Close your mouth, you're looking like a love-struck idiot. Let's not forget last time...'

_I love you..._

Lina's smile hardened and she gripped her mug of coffee with whitened knuckles. She stared into space, unaware that Zelgadiss was looking at her strangely.

"Lina?" His concerned voice broke her out of her reverie.

"Huh?"

"Are you all right?" 

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," she said hastily. Then she said with false brightness, "Let's get on with breakfast."

"Sure..." he said. He had seen the look in her eyes, an expression of festering pain and frustration and it confused him.

'You know better than to ask her about something like that,' his brain advised him before he did anything rash. 

"Zel?"

"Hm?"

"How many eggs do you want?" 

"Oh, uh two." 

She bent to the task of cooking breakfast and he noticed how her hair framed her face like an untamable, fiery aureole and the bewitchingly delicate movements of her hands. 

'Too bad...too bad...' his brain murmured with regretful bemusement.

'Too bad what?' he asked absently.

"Zel? Your eggs and sausage are ready."

"Huh, oh thanks," he said. 

She said, "No problem," with a smile that nearly melted him into bliss.

'Don't fall too deeply...or you'll never find your way back...' his brain said enigmatically.

"What?"

It chuckled and fell silent. 

A Few Months Later...

Zelgadiss contemplated. 

He pondered. 

He cogitated.

And came up with nothing. 

Muttering curses to himself, he spun around in his chair and faced Lina. "God, I can't write anything," he groaned. 

Lina, curled up on the dark blue couch, reading a book, encouraged absently, "I'm sure you can."

"I can't..." he complained. 

She rolled her eyes and, putting aside her novel, padded over on bare feet to his computer. Reading what he wrote quickly, she made little noises of approval or disagreement, while completely engrossed in the manuscript, which Zelgadiss found absolutely adorable for some reason. 

"It's good, what are you talking about?"

He made a self-disparaging sound and said, "It's bad. This is not what I call high-quality work." 

Then he added, "Especially from me." 

Lina measured the situation for one second, then lightly rapped Zelgadiss on the head. "You're too self-critical. Lighten up," she tossed over her shoulder as she walked over to the couch and curled up with her book again. 

He turned back to his manuscript and grimaced.

"Ridiculous! This is so stupid!"

Sighing, he turned back to face Lina, occupied with her book, making her usual derisive comments. "Could you say that to yourself?" 

Lina looked up and smiled sweetly. "I'm simply learning, you know. My teachers always said to argue points of view when I disagreed with them." 

"Yes, but do you have to do it out loud?" 

"If you don't like it, don't listen."

He sighed in frustration and turned back to the computer. Suddenly, something struck him, the little comment that Lina made and his mind began weaving a plot, so intricate and astounding, it almost escaped before he though it out completely. Scribbling down a few illegible notes on paper, he began to sketch an outline of the plot and his fingers began to fly over the keyboard, fervent with the need to write, spin a story from his own mind and sink himself into a surreal sea of words. 

Another Few Months Later...

__

Ding!

"Coming!"

_Ding!_

"Coming!"

_Ding!_

"I'm goddamn coming, so stop ringing the bell!" Lina screamed in the general direction of the door. "God, why can't he just wait? It's not like the first time I've been late!" 

Grumbling while she pulled on her clothing, she ran to the door in her bare feet. While she opened the door, she said exasperatedly, "Zel, why can't you just wait? I'm still-" She stopped short when she saw who it was.

"Hello Lina. Long time no see," a familiar voice said. 

"Oh God..." Lina gasped, her hand automatically going to her mouth in a gesture of complete shock.

He smiled back in response, the smirk all together too familiar for Lina's tastes. "Is that all you can say after I've been away for so long, lover?" 


End file.
